1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a lid for a beverage container, and more particularly relates to a plastic lid adapted to hold and controllably release ingredients into said container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Beverages sold by "fast food" restaurants are generally sold in disposable or inexpensive plastic or paper containers. In order to sell such beverages quickly and at low price, the containers are filled with beverages such as coffee or tea without modifying ingredients or condiments such as sugar, synthetic sweetener, cream or lemon. Instead, it becomes the customer's chore to add whatever additional ingredients he or she desires. Often, and particularly in "take-out" service where the beverage is to be consumed away from the restaurant, the condiments are made available to the customer in individually packaged plastic containers.
Such individual condiment containers are relatively costly, and further contribute to a general litter problem when inadvertently or carelessly disposed of. The take-out beverage is often intended for the driver of a motor vehicle, and is often purchased by the driver at a drive-in serving station of the restaurant. For such driver, any manipulations required to transfer condiments to the beverage container represents a distraction of attention from his proper operation of the vehicle. Also, the motion of the vehicle or lack of a flat work surface may contribute to spillage of the beverage if the lid were to be removed.
Multi-compartmented containers have earlier been disclosed for the controlled mixing of previously separated ingredients. Specialized closure devices have also been disclosed having means for controllably releasing confined ingredients into an underlying container. Such closure devices, however, are usually of expensive construction and not intended as items to be disposed of after a single use. Furthermore, earlier ingredient-dispensing closures require two-hand operation and are of limited versatility in terms of the number or quantities of different ingredients that can be handled.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a lid for holding and dispensing ingredients into a beverage container.
It is another object of this invention to provide a lid as in the foregoing object wherein said ingredients can be dispensed in a single hand operation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lid of the aforesaid nature capable of holding and dispensing several varied ingredients.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a lid of the aforesaid nature of substantially integral construction and which does not shed component parts in the course of normal use.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a lid of the aforesaid nature amenable to sufficiently low cost manufacture to justify disposal following one time use.
These and other beneficial objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.